How to add a link to your Instagram Story

Instagram is very strict when it comes to sharing. You have to be a little creative when it comes to sharing other people’s posts, and sharing links, other than in your bio, isn’t possible. That is, unless, you share links in your Stories. Here’s how to become eligible to share links in your Stories, and then how to do it.

How to become eligible

There is only one way to get the ability to share links. First, you need a business account or creator account, then you need over 10,000 followers. I can’t help you with getting the followers, but switching from a personal account to a business or creator account is simple.

In the app, tap on the menu icon above your following number on your profile page. Then, tap on Settings at the bottom of the menu. From there, tap Account and Switch to a Business Account or Switch to a Creator’s Account. Read the popup on the screen and then tap Switch to. Now you’re ready for linking action.

How to create a link in Stories

Once you have your requirements met, adding a link to a Story is easy. Start a Story like you normally would, then tap the link icon at the top of the screen. Next, tap the + icon and add your link. Finish by tapping the blue checkmark icon or Done, depending on what type of phone you have. Now you can post your Story.

You may notice that on the linking screen, there is an option to allow a business partner to promote. Not everyone will have that option. It basically just a label that is added to a post during a paid partnership scenario and allows your partner to see how well the post is doing and promote it. You don’t really have to worry about this option.

Once your Story is live, a call to action will be added to your post. At the bottom of the screen will be a note that says “Learn More” and an icon that encourages viewers to swipe up. When your viewer swipes up, they are automatically taken to whatever you linked to.

To encourage more swipes, it’s helpful to add an animated “swipe up” GIF sticker to your Story to really drive home that you want people to take action. There are many different types of these stickers, so you’re sure to find one that matches your Story’s aesthetic.